Stories
Texas Doctor Transforms Family Ranch into 2178-Acre Wildlife Sanctuary After 40 Years
M
Moneycontrol•09-10-2026, 14:54
Texas Doctor Transforms Family Ranch into 2178-Acre Wildlife Sanctuary After 40 Years
- •Paul Burns spent four decades restoring a historic family ranch in Brown County, Texas, transforming damaged land into a thriving ecosystem.
- •In 2023, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired 2,178 acres of the ranch to establish the Paul and Toni Fox Burns Wildlife Management Area.
- •Burns sold the property at a reduced price, donated 25 percent of its appraised value, and established a $1 million endowment to ensure long-term stewardship.
- •The restored landscape now supports native grasses, flowing springs, white-tailed deer, Rio Grande wild turkeys, and black-capped vireos.
- •The family retained a 100-acre portion containing their historic 1898 homestead while securing a permanent future for the surrounding habitat under state management.
Key Questions Answered
In late 2023, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department acquired 2,178 acres of the historic Colonel Burns Ranch to establish the Paul and Toni Fox Burns Wildlife Management Area.
The history of the ranch began in 1873 when Simon Pierce Burns, Paul Burns's great-grandfather, purchased the original tract of land.
Although the property was appraised at nearly $10 million, Burns agreed to a bargain sale and donated 25% of its appraised value to help meet federal conservation funding requirements.
